Jumilla wine route, Bodegas Hacienda del Carche

An interesting blend of products make this a good stop-off for wine shoppers

Hacienda del Carche is one of the Jumilla wineries located between the mountains of the Sierra del Carche and the Sierrecica de Enmedio, an attractive area to the east of the town itself.

It is close to Bodega Casa de la Ermita, which belongs to the same owners, and Bodega Carchelo, so it is easy to combine a visit to more than one establishment in this area.

The winery as it is today was founded as recently as 2006 but, like many others in the Jumilla Denomination of Origin, it has developed over the generations from a family concern. The continuation of tradition is encouraged by the fact that many of the staff come from families which have been involved in grape-growing and wine production for generations, although at the same time great efforts are made to make the best possible use of modern technology, and constant efforts are being made to innovate and improve still further.

The vineyards and winery

The vineyards of Hacienda del Carche are all located next to the Natural Park of Carche, and as is the case throughout Jumilla the dominant grape variety is Monastrell. Some of the vineyards line the approach to the winery from the MU-15-A road, and the oldest vines have been growing on this land for over 60 years.

There are also other varieties of grape grown here, including Syrah, Macabeo, Cabernet Sauvignon (with vines up to 25 years old) and Garnacha, with the location for each variety being chosen according to the conditions on different plots of land. All of the vineyards are around 700 metres above sea level, but the soil is more moist on one side of the valley, on the northern slopes of the Sierra del Carche, than on the other (the southern side of the Sierrecica de Enmedio), and this influences the choices made.

Such is the care taken nowadays to produce wines of the maximum quality possible that all of the grapes grown by Hacienda del Carche are hand-picked and placed in 15-kilo crates, rather than in larger containers, to minimize the degree to which may be are partially crushed or damaged by being transported in large quantities. These crates are then stored in refrigeration until the production process begins shortly afterwards.

In all there are around 100 hectares of vineyards, and on the land owned by the winery there are also Arbequina and Picual olive trees, whose fruit is used to produce oil.

As for the winery, nowhere is the combination of tradition and modernity more apparent than in the building itself: the modern architecture incorporates traditional marble and wood finishes as well as walls made from the stone of Villamayor in Salamanca, and these materials all contribute to keeping the temperature cool in an environmentally-friendly way throughout the production process.

As the quest for innovation and improvement continues great emphasis is placed at this Bodega on the search for the perfect barrel in which to age wine. 90% of those used by Hacienda del Carche are of French oak and another 5% are American oak, while at present the remainder are part of an experiment to test the qualities of Hungarian oak.

None of the barrels is retained in use for longer than four years, after which attempts are made to ensure that they are either passed on to other producers or are sold as decoration for bars and restaurants.

Current production levels are around 350,000 bottles per year, of which approximately 70% is exported outside Spain.

Wines are generally well below 10 euros a bottle, with many under 5 euros.

The wines of Hacienda del Carche

Hacienda del Carche produces a very wide range of products, which makes it a particularly interesting bodega for shoppers, as it has something to suit every taste, offering whites, reds, rosés, a cava, a sweet Monastrell "Eiswein" made from frozen grapes which can be served as an aperitif or dessert wine, a non-filtered wine, and even locally brewed craft beers, as well as its own Extra Virgen olive oil, own brand balsamic vinegar and wine jellies.

Some of the most popular wines made by Hacienda del Carche are marketed under the “Taus” label. This brand name is arrived at by taking the first letters of the four crucial elements in producing a quality wine: Tierra (earth), Agua (water), Uvas (grapes) and Sol (sun).

Taus Fusion: in an area where Monastrell is the dominant grape variety this is an unusual red wine in that it is produced using only Syrah grapes, and it has enjoyed great success.

Taus Selección: made from grapes of the Monastrell, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon varieties, this wine shows that the local Monastrell can be enriched by the contributions of other vines.

Taus Blanco: the white wine of the Taus label, made from Macabeo and Sauvignon Blanc grapes.

Cepas Viejas: this classic wine features grapes from the oldest Monastrell vines owned by Hacienda del Carche, combined with others of the Cabernet Sauvignon variety.

Infiltrado: an innovative bottle design marks this product out visually, but the decanter shape also has a practical purpose as it enables bottling without filtration. This is because this wine, unlike most of those produced in Jumilla, is not subjected to any filtration process, and it is therefore deliberate that some sediment remains in the bottle. 50% Syrah, 40% Monastrell, 10% Garnacha.

Escarche: this is Hacienda del Carche’s “ice wine”, produced from grapes which are left on the vine to over-ripen and suffer the first frost of winter before picking. This gives them extra sweetness, and they are then kept frozen in dry ice for a further 4 or 5 days before the production process begins. The colour is surprisingly light for a Monastrell sweet wine and the product is packaged in a distinctive and innovative bottle.

The sweet wine is aged in barrels for six months, and Escarche claims to be the only ice wine produced in Jumilla with Monastrell grapes.

Cava Hacienda del Carche: a typical cava-style sparkling wine made using Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada grapes, this is an unusual addition to the typical portfolio of Jumilla wineries.

El Mar: This is a wine made using only grapes of the Syrah variety specifically for the Swedish market in terms of both taste and packaging. For this reason, unusually, it features a screw top instead of a cork and is particularly popular with Scandinavian visitors.

Hacienda del Carche also produces its own wine jams, using Monastrell red wine and Suavignon white and adding a small amount of sugar and pectin in order to help them set. If you've not yet sampled these conserves, then give them a try; they're excellent with cheese and cold meats. It's difficult to know whether to call these a jam or a jelly, as they have no solid matter, are clear, but have a more jam-like texture.This particular wine jam is sweeter than some and is very palatable and extremely good, but lacks the strong flavour punch of wine which some of the others offer.

The bodega shop also sells its own extra virgin olive oil (from Arbequina and Picual olives) and a well-priced balsamic vinegar made from Pedro Ximénez grapes, which makes a nice gift, along with a bottle or two of wine and some wine jelly.

Visiting Hacienda del Carche

Hacienda del Carche places great importance on wine tourism, and offers a wide range of tours and activities in this attractive part of the Jumilla countryside.

This range includes not only tours of the winery and tastings, but also courses in wine tasting for beginners, children’s play facilities, a banquet area for large celebrations, organized barbecues, cycling routes through the vineyards and even the opportunity to rent out a country property in the foothills of the Sierra. Tastings take place in the aging room, where there may be as many as 600 barrels at any one time (depending on the time of year).

The price of the tour varies according to the options selected, but for example a guided tour with the tasting of three wines and a typical local snack is priced at 8€ per head.

Tours of the winery can also include a visit to the “aroma room”, where visitors can test their sense of smell in identifying different aromas, and the tasting in the aging room is an essential part of the experience prior to visiting the winery shop.

This sells not only wine, but also other associated products including balsamic vinegar, olive oil and wine jam, as well as glasses, corkscrews and other accoutrements.

The tours are available in English or Spanish, and reservations must be made by telephone on 600 479005 or by email at visitas@haciendadelcarche.com. Depending on the tour contracted the visit may last anywhere between 30 minutes (for a tasting session only) to two and a half hours (for a full wine initiation course).

The standard tours are not subject to any minimum group size and can be undertaken even by just one person, but efforts are made, understandably, to combine visits when possible.

Other activities, however, do require a minimum number of participants: 15 for a wine tasting initiation course, 10 for a brunch among the vineyards, 12 for a barbecue, and 20 to stage an event in the well-appointed meetings room.

The Hacienda del Carche shop and visiting department are open on weekdays from 8.30 to 14.00 and 15.30 to 18.00: weekend opening times are variable. Tours usually begin at 11.00, or 11.30 at weekends.

How to find Hacienda del Carche in Jumilla

The Hacienda del Carche winery enjoys a beautiful location at the foot of the mountains of Sierrecica de Enmedio, and is easy to find once the visitor has identified the right road!

For those approaching Jumilla from the south on the N-344 road dual carriageway, take the first turn-off which is signposted as leading to the centre of the town. This leads straight on onto the Avenida de Murcia while the N-344 curves away to ring Jumilla to the west and north, and the turning towards Sierra del Carche is almost immediately on the right.

The Bodega is among those which are signposted at this turning, and is reached by following the MU-15-A road which heads east towards the mountains. Hacienda del Carche is on the left after approximately 9 kilometres. Click map for exact location.